LPGA Tour
Aditi Ashok partnered with Thai golfer Pajaree Anannarukarn to shoot 65-63-67-66 (19-under 261) to finish tied-3rd at US$ 2.3mn Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan.
The two have known each other since 2014 when they met at a junior golf tournament in Thailand, making them good friends and creating a chemistry that served them well in this unique team format event. As a strategy, Pajaree is a long hitter so in the better ball format, Aditi would try to put her approach safely on the green and then her partner would fire straight at the pins.
The team named ‘Spice Girls’ earlier co-led the event for two rounds – 65 on Day 1 and 67 on Day 3 but an incredible final round 59 from Jutanugarn sisters – Ariya & Moriya of Thailand took away the title.
With their tied-3rd finish, Aditi and her partner each earned US$ 73,000. In 2021, Aditi has made 8 cuts in 10 LPGA starts, earning US$ 127,000 (₹94.7 lakhs) so far this season.
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Thanks to her performance this week, Aditi is now expected to get into the women’s fourth major of the season, the US$ 4.5mn Evian Championship, in France, moving her ahead of Lahiri as the Indian with the maximum appearances in majors, 17. She will play two events in Europe before heading to Tokyo for the Olympics.